Contact: Bruce Conley, News Information Director
Phone: (605) 274-5526
Fax: (605) 274-4903
e-mail: bruce_conley@augie.edu
www.augie.edu

August 13, 2003

Augustana Graduate Wins National Piano Competition

SIOUX FALLS - Zarina Melik-Stepanova, a 1999 graduate of Augustana College, won the National Federation of Music Club's young artist piano competition August 4-11 in Nashville, Tenn.

For her winning performance, Melik-Stepanova received $10,000 and two years of professional management. She is pursuing her doctorate degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. She will continue to study with her current teacher, Natalya Antonova, while performing throughout the country. In addition to performing, Melik-Stepanova is a faculty member at Hochstein Music School.

The first-round of the competition in Nashville involved the submission of 30 minutes of recorded music. Five semifinalists were invited to participate at the competition, which served as the start of the National Federation's Biennial Convention. In the final round, which consisted of two competitors, Melik-Stepanova performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto in E flat major, Opus 73.

A native of the former Soviet Union, Melik-Stepanova began her music studies at age four with the preparatory division of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory in Baku, Azerbaijan. In 1990, her family was forced to flee Baku due to religious persecution and moved to Moscow. Two years later they moved to the United States, where Melik-Stepanova began performing throughout the Midwest, including appearances in Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, Rochester, Sioux Falls, and Aberdeen.

During her time at Augustana, Melik-Stepanova won numerous piano awards. She also participated as a member of the Augustana Choir and Chamber Choir.

A year ago she gave her international debut at the Moulin d'Ande Music Festival in Ande, France.